Do you frequently visit the gym? Are you seriously into lifting weights? Are you a health nut? If you answered “no” to all three of those questions, guess what? Protein is still crucial for your diet and overall wellbeing! I feel like the word “protein” has become associated with a very specific stereotype, you know who I’m talking about…the kind of people whose ultimate fitness goal is looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. I have absolutely nothing against this stereotype; if I could say one thing to these people it would be “more power to you!” However, I am frustrated with how often people walk around with the misconception that protein, in general, is limited to this group of people. As if the only purpose in consuming protein is to build muscle (Ha!). I’m here to tell you that protein is a seriously misunderstood food group and is actually a fantastic source for the nutrients your body desperately needs to remain in a healthy state.

How big of a role does protein play in your daily diet? If you consume any protein at all, how good is the quality of that protein? The fact of the matter is, if your source of protein lies within meats, you’re only consuming a healthy android quality protein if you are eating Organic meats free of antibiotics and GMOs. So, stop and reevaluate your current source of protein…is it 100% healthy or does it come with some not so great chemical and/or hormonal additives?

For those of you who are vegetarians or vegans, how do you make protein a key part of your diet? It is challenging enough for those of us who do eat meat and dairy products to find acceptable protein. Unfortunately, it is all too common for food companies to automatically add preservatives and chemical ingredients instead of using the real thing. Our food industry has developed a habit that severely hurts us, the consumers, in the long run. You see more and more people developing serious health disorders these days. Autism is becoming too common among children, as is epilepsy.

I developed epilepsy as a teen and I thought I was perfectly healthy at the time! The saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover” is very appropriate for my situation because my insides would have told a VERY different story from my “healthy” exterior! My poor brain was struggling and I had no idea. It’s going on 7 years since I was first diagnosed and I’ve learned quite a bit about the cause of my epilepsy during that time. While I started out thinking it was simply my brain “misfiring,” I’ve come to learn that the human body rarely “misfires.” No, there is always an underlying cause that is to blame for one’s poor state of health. This underlying cause could be a multitude of things including deficiencies, diet, lifestyle, environment, etc. (the list goes on and on).

Discovering the cause of my seizures to be a hormone imbalance was my first step toward figuring out how to return to a state of good health. Some people are content to simply take their medication and listen to everything their doctors have to say. I don’t know about you, but I refuse to be one of those people. I don’t want to take my medication forever and I certainly don’t plan on dealing with seizures for the rest of my life. I have found that considering all factors as a cause of poor health is the best way to think beyond doctors and actually get to the root of the problem.

It was this very thinking that led me to consider my diet as a contributing factor to my hormone imbalance and my seizures. Once I began my own research on the quality of those foods I frequently ate, it was no longer a mystery why my hormones were so unstable and why I had multiple deficiencies.

From the nasty preservatives to the synthetic ingredients, I was basically eating junk on a daily basis. Processed foods may taste good, but they certainly aren’t doing your body any favors. None of these foods have any nutritional value (despite what the box says!). The fruits and veggies I typically bought were not organic; therefore I was filling my body with pesticides. All the meat and dairy products I consumed were treated with antibiotics, hormones, and who knows what else because they also were not Organic.

After learning about all of the horribly toxic ingredients I was consuming during every meal, it’s a shock I hadn’t started growing an extra limb. After switching completely to Organic foods and carefully looking over every ingredient label before buying anything, my health improved immensely. However, I realized that one challenge still remained: providing my body with the appropriate amount of protein.

I’ve had people tell me to use protein powder, such as whey or pea, to solve this problem, but it is nearly impossible to find a product without toxic ingredients and harmful preservatives. So, do I carry on being deficient in protein or do I consume a healthy amount of protein and compromise my health by also pumping it full of toxins??? It sounds like quite the dilemma, I know, but I can happily answer this question with an alternative solution…make your own protein powder instead! Thanks to a brilliant recipe from Back to Her Roots, you only need three ingredients and a coffee grinder to do this! Here is a breakdown of the protein powder recipe:

PROTEIN POWDER RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Oats

1/2 cup Quinoa

1/3 cup Brown Rice

DIRECTIONS:

Mix up in a bowl, then ground it in a coffee grinder about 1/3 cup at a time (if small) until it resembles a fine powder. To up the protein level, add more quinoa. To reduce the carbs, decrease the amount of steel cut oats and rice.

I know that the levels of calories, fat and carbs are a bit higher in the homemade powder, but it is also free of toxic ingredients, artificial flavorings and preservatives, so this truly is the better option. Thanks to the brilliant resources available on the Internet, you will have no trouble finding recipe ideas for protein shakes! Here’s a link I have found helpful: 48 Delicious Protein Shake Recipes. You will be shocked at how delicious and filling these shakes are (I certainly was!). Protein shakes, in particular, tend to be thought of as exclusively for weight lifters, but they truly are an excellent way to get protein into your diet and to start your day off right! Plus, they’re great for vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters!

If you could use some more protein in your diet, seize the day and implement more of it into your diet whether your source is (Organic, antibiotic-free) meats and dairy, protein rich grains (like Chia seeds and Quinoa), or protein shakes.

I am constantly trying (and usually failing) to drink more water throughout the day. It should be a daily essential in every person’s diet. For those of you who, like me, live in Southern California or some other region with a dry climate, keeping water with you both at home and on the go is as important for your health as a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and before you know it, you’ve gone the entire day without drinking even one full glass of water. Why is something that should be so simple such a challenge to manage? Because we’re in the habit of not drinking the amount of water we should be! This task has dropped on our list of priorities, therefore, we’re also in the habit of forgetting to maintain this act.

Could we also not drink enough water because there are so many other drinks available that taste much better than water? It’s undeniably tempting to choose the sugary soda bursting with flavor over the mundane water. Your taste buds might thank you, but your body certainly won’t. What if I could make it easier for you to choose the healthier option instead of the “tastier” option? While exploring a blog called, Back to Her Roots, I stumbled across a recipe for Strawberry, Lime, Cucumber and Mint Water. I, of course, had to try making this delicious sounding water and the results were anything but mundane!

I’m a huge supporter of clean eating (Organic, no synthetic or toxic ingredients like MSG and GMOs) so being able to flavor my water with natural ingredients is a huge triumph for me! You need four ingredients for this recipe: strawberries, cucumbers, limes and fresh mint leaves (in addition to the water, of course). You will be amazed by the refreshing flavor your water will have after adding these simple ingredients! Plus, it’s too pretty not to pour yourself a glass instead of grabbing a can of soda.

Happy Hydrating!

Strawberry, Lime, Cucumber and Mint Water

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 cup sliced cucumbers

2 limes, sliced

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Ice cubes

Water

Instructions:

1. In a half-gallon jar, or a 2 quart pitcher, layer the strawberries, cucumbers, lime slices, and mint leaves with the ice cubes. Fill Jar or Pitcher with water. Let chill for 10 minutes, and then enjoy!

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I’m all about healthy eating, but I’m also all about eating good food. One of the biggest misunderstandings when it comes to dieting is the idea that you have to surrender all yummy foods for boring low carb dishes composed mostly of fat free ingredients. The truth? For starters, fat free ingredients are actually very unhealthy for you (I am going to do an entire article on this very subject and why you should avoid fat free foods like the plague, so keep an eye out for that!). Also, it is important to remember that if you truly want to eat healthy, your biggest focus should be on portion control. You could be eating nothing but veggies, fruits and yogurt for each meal, but if you’re eating enough for three people you are never going to see the results you so desperately want.

I have found that the only foods I NEED to give up are the ones with poor ingredients like Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), preservatives, chemicals and hormone additives. If you would like to learn more about the quality of foods and their poor ingredients, click here, to read my latest article “Quality of Foods: The Key to Healthy Living Begins With Your Diet.” It is unbelievable to discover how many foods contain terrible ingredients! On a more encouraging note, it is also so much fun when you discover food products that are both healthy and of good quality. Don’t panic, these foods do exist! You just have to find them. I recommend going to Organic grocery stores like Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, and Sprouts Market to find the best selection of products.

Now that I have transformed my diet to be 99% Organic and 100% MSG free, my motto for eating is “everything in moderation.” I have found that I can stay healthy while still eating the comfort foods I love by monitoring my portions. Now, I’m not saying it’s okay to eat greasy, fried foods for every meal. I simply mean that it’s okay to eat some foods like this every once in a while without beating yourself up afterward. The only ingredients I have removed from my diet are MSG, synthetic contents, hormone additives and as many chemicals possible. I eat “fattening” foods like bread and pasta, but I manage to maintain a healthy weight of 114 pounds through portion control.

In fact, one of my favorite meals to both cook and eat happens to be grilled cheese sandwiches. So, when I found an entire blog entry dedicated to various gourmet-grilled cheeses, it instantly became a red-letter day. This list was composed of some pretty amazing creations, but there was one in particular that stood out to me: Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich. It was the picture that initially caught my eye. Layers of bacon strips and baked jalapeño peppers in between sourdough bread, one side coated in goat cheese, the other in apricot jam. Enough to make your mouth water, right?

You can visit the full article for this recipe or you can scroll down to find it with step-by-step directions complete with pictures. In addition to sharing this delicious recipe, I’m also going to give you a few tips on what products to use so that you can avoid unhealthy ingredients like MSG, therefore making a grilled cheese that is actually healthy for you! Who knew that was possible???

Okay, so there are five key ingredients to this recipe: sourdough bread, bacon, jalapeño peppers, goat cheese, and apricot preserves. My first tip for this recipe is to be extra careful with the brand of bacon you use. When I first removed MSG from my diet, grocery shopping became challenging, but finding good quality bacon was impossible! After searching and searching, I finally found Applegate Sunday Bacon. It’s free of MSG, chemical additives, dextrose and many other toxic ingredients commonly found in most bacon. The best part? You can find it at Target! I use two different types of Applegate bacon: Good Morning Bacon (which is a thicker cut of bacon, closer to what you typically find in Europe) and Sunday Bacon (the thinner cut of bacon commonly found here in the United States).

I prefer cooking my bacon in the oven, so I place the strips side by side in glass pans and cook them for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees, sometimes more or less depending on the bacon.

While the bacon is cooking, you can start on the jalapeño peppers. I like to begin by slicing off the top of the pepper where the stem is located. I then continue to slice the jalapeños in half so that I can remove the seeds. Once the seeds are completely removed, I place them in rows in a 9×13 inch glass pan (although any size will do, 9×13 prevents overcrowding, giving the peppers plenty of room to bake).

I recommend cooking these little guys for at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the outer skins are starting to brown. The original source for this recipe suggests peeling the outer skin off each jalapeño pepper, but after trying it and struggling to accomplish this task, I tried leaving the skins on and found that it tastes exactly the same! So, peeling the skins is completely up to you, but it really makes no difference in the flavor or the texture of the sandwich (and it saves you time in the kitchen, who doesn’t love that?).

Now that our bacon and jalapeños are finished cooking, we can start assembling our grilled cheeses. For the sourdough bread, I use the Trader Joe’s brand Artisan Bread Sourdough Boule. It’s not Organic, unfortunately, but it is baked fresh daily and free of toxic ingredients. I also use Trader’s Joe’s brand goat cheese, it’s delicious! As for the apricot jam, I get mine from a local bakery exclusive to my area so for those of you outside of the Southern California area I recommend trying to find a locally grown product, as well. If you can’t find a local jam, look for an Organic brand with a small list of ingredients. This will give you the best chance at finding a “clean” product, free or almost free of toxic ingredients.

For each sandwich you make, be sure to butter the outsides of both pieces of bread for when you cook them in the skillet. On the inside of one piece of bread, spread an even layer of goat cheese and do the same with the apricot jam on the other piece. Add the jalapeños and bacon to complete the assembly process. In the picture below you can only see one layer of bacon, but I actually like to add a second layer on top of the jalapeños for a little extra crunch. The amount of bacon you add is really up to you and your preference because they’re delicious either way!

And now you’re ready to put your sandwiches into the skillet! If you cook them on Medium Low heat, it will take about 8-10 minutes for the bread to become golden brown, which is exactly what you want! Be sure to flip the grilled cheeses once halfway through so that both sides are thoroughly toasted.

And voila! Your Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are now ready to eat! After one bite, I’m sure this will become one of your favorite meals! Happy Cooking!!!

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

Ingredients:

2 slices sourdough bread

2 ounces goat cheese, softened to room temp

4 slices crisp bacon

3 whole fresh jalapeño peppers

1 Tbsp apricot preserves

2 Tbsp butter

Directions:

Slice each jalapeño in half lengthwise, and remove stem, ribs and seeds.

Place cut-side-down on a baking sheet, and broil until skins blacken and blister, about five minutes. Remove jalapeños from broiler (or oven), and transfer immediately into a plastic bag or other sealed container.

Seal and let steam until cool enough to handle, about 10-20 minutes. Remove blacked skins by pinching them between your thumb and forefinger, and discard.

Spread one of the slices of bread with goat cheese. Top with roasted jalapeño peppers, then bacon.

Spread the other piece of bread with the apricot preserves, and add to sandwich. Butter each side of the sandwich, and toast in saucepan over medium low heat until bread is toasted, about 2-3 minutes a side.

American cuisine…some people might say it’s pretty great while others could not disagree more. Up until my diagnosis of Catamenial Epilepsy, I was one of those people who thought American food was fantastic! In my defense, I was completely unaware of the poor quality ingredients commonly found in processed foods.

It wasn’t until I experienced an allergic reaction to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) that I began making the lifestyle changes necessary to get me on a path toward better health. The truth is, many foods these days don’t even contain actual food ingredients anymore, instead they’re packed full of chemicals, imitation products of the real thing. The line has to be drawn somewhere, so why not let it be drawn here? Put your foot down to Genetically Modified (GM) food products and cook the way our ancestors used to, from scratch! A microwaveable meal might be easier, but from-scratch baking really saves you in the long run!

“Scientists have discovered a number of health problems — like changes in reproductive hormones, testicular changes and damage to the pituitary gland — related to genetically modified foods, however these studies have been repeatedly ignored by both the European Food Safety Authority and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). GM foods are typically regarded as equivalent to their conventional counterparts. This, however, is flawed logic because GM foods contain foreign genes that have never before been introduced into the food supply, and are universally contaminated with toxic GMO-specific herbicide residues.” (Dr. Mercola)1

These health problems continue to plague United States consumers and will worsen in time if people do not switch to Organic foods and cage free meats and dairy products. The difference between foods in Europe and the United States is quite extraordinary. Did you know that the U.S. is currently unable to import meats into European countries because of all the hormonal and chemical additives?

“Europe is much stricter than our country about what kinds of chemicals get into the food chain. Europeans don’t find many — if any — artificial dyes in their food. They can also rest assured that their cows aren’t shot up with artificial growth hormones. The EU also banned the use of an arsenic-laden drug in chickens long before the United States finally followed suit. More recently, the EU enacted a moratorium on the pesticides responsible for massive bee die-offs.” (Alternet.org)2

Clearly, the EU is taking precautionary steps exactly where they need to be taken! The U.S. could learn a thing or two from their actions concerning food standards. According to VegNews3, the ban on American meats exists in more than 160 countries and “this is not the first time that American animal products have been banned on the ground of public safety — hormone-fed beef is prohibited in the EU, and other United States trading partners such as Japan have outlawed the hormone bovine somatotropin in dairy cattle, which is commonly used in America. While these drugs fatten the food industry’s wallets, they have been shown to skew hormone levels in consumers and lead to health issues including prostate, breast, and reproductive organ cancer.” (Vegnews.com)3

As if these effects aren’t devastating enough all by themselves, it actually gets worse. In recent years, there has been a gradual decline in the amount of naturally occurring nutrients found in vegetables, fruits, and meats. “The way our food is grown is guaranteed to give us beautiful, tasteless, nutritionally deficient food with long shelf lives…the unhealthy result is that our meals are dense in calories, but sparse in nutrition and flavor, so our bodies crave more nutrition and pleasure than is found on our plates.” (Psychologytoday.com)4

In this day and age, we have full access to vitamin supplements and other health food products, yet millions of people across the United States suffer from numerous deficiencies. How is this possible???

“According to the World Watch Institute, farmers today can grow two to three times as much grain, fruit, and vegetables on a plot of land as they could 50 years ago, but that food contains 10 to 25 percent less iron, zinc, protein, calcium, vitamin C, and other nutrients. In simple terms, you would have to eat eight oranges today to derive the same amount of Vitamin A as our grandparents would have gotten from one.” (Psychologytoday.com)4

Due to the current circumstances, finding nutritionally rich foods can be a bit of a challenge. Therefore, it is very important to help strengthen your body by building up nutrients through multiple sources. The best way to accomplish this task is to minimize your intake of processed foods and replace it with whole natural foods, preferably Organic. I know that processed foods like Oreos and Cheetos Puffs are yummy, but they really have no nutritional value to offer your body. By replacing these foods with fruits and veggies, you are doing your body a huge favor! These energy-boosting foods will go above and beyond your typical processed foods by actually satisfying your nutritional needs. “To protect your health and the environment, strive to make 90 percent of your diet non-processed, whole organic foods; it may cost more to eat this way initially, but the amount it will save you in the long run is immeasurable.” (Dr. Mercola)1

If you’re reading this article and would like to make some lifestyle changes as far as your diet is concerned, but you aren’t quite sure where to begin, don’t fret; it’s actually much easier than one might think! It’s all about going back to the basics; just regular whole foods that aren’t processed and only contain natural ingredients. The best places to find foods like these are at Organic food stores such as Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s and Sprout’s Market. If one of these stores is not located near you then I recommend you check out your local Vons, as they happen to have a very impressive Organic section, as well. We can’t control what companies put into our foods, but we can control what foods we choose to put into our bodies.

I was diagnosed with Epilepsy when I was sixteen years old, the main cause being a hormone imbalance (which I’m sure my diet contributed to). However, I don’t plan on living with this condition forever. I am confident that one day I will conquer it through Holistic methods. I took my first step in accomplishing this task 4 years ago when I changed my diet for the better. It was the best decision I could have made for my health and it is so exciting to be able to see the improvement in my overall stability. My annual number of seizures continues to decrease and I know that it is partly because of my dedication to a healthy diet. So, if you’re someone who is struggling with a health condition, I challenge you to try changing your diet just so you can experience, firsthand, the difference it is guaranteed to make in your life. Or, if you’re a perfectly healthy individual I recommend you take preventative measures and alter your diet so that you may continue to remain healthy. Whichever you may be, seize the day and take control of your health, today!

Sources:

1Dr. Mercola. “Americans Eat the Cheapest Food in the World, But What is It Really Costing.” Mercola.com. n.p., 2012. Web Accessed on August 17, 2015.

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Okay, so a bowl of fruit might be much healthier than a batch of cupcakes, but it’s Tuesday and a little sugar pick me up may be just what the doctor ordered. Plus, the recipe I am going to share with you all (courtesy of Ree Drummond from the Food Network) derives most of its flavor from natural fruit sources, lemons and blueberries to be exact.

What I love most about this recipe is that it provides directions on how to make both the batter and the frosting completely from scratch. Recipes made 100% from scratch increase your odds of keeping MSG and synthetic ingredients out of the foods you eat.

So, skip the store bought can of greasy frosting filled with hydrogenated oils and make your own instead. Here are just a few of the many health benefits of using lemon as a main flavor ingredient in cupcakes: vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, niacin thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, and protein (organicfacts.net). A cupcake that is both yummy and healthy…what more could one ask for?

Ingredients

Batter:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (let stand at room temp)

3 eggs (let stand at room temp)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons finely shredded lemon peel

1 1/2 cups blueberries, coated with flour

Frosting:

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

1 stick unsalted butter (let stand at room temp)

1 stick cream cheese

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons lemon zest

Decoration:

Lemon peel

Blueberries

Sprig of fresh mint (here’s a piece of advice: wait to put the mint on top of the cupcakes until right before serving to avoid shriveling.)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. For the batter: Mix the butter and eggs. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Mix the granulated sugar, milk and lemon peel together. Then mix the butter and eggs into the milk and sugar mixture. Mix the flour into the wet mixture and blend.

3. Place paper cups into a pan, spray with butter baking spray and fill each cup three-quarters full with batter. Drop the coated blueberries on top. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

4. For the frosting: Combine the powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, lemon juice and zest together until light and fluffy. Pipe onto the cupcakes and decorate with lemon peel, blueberries and a mint leaf.

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Battling a Summer cold? Drop the cough syrup and grab the blender! Pump your body full of immune boosting fruits and veggies instead of those nasty chemicals found in most cold medicines. If it’s the healthier option, why not give it a try? Here are 4 recipes (Courtesy of all-about-recipes.com and Hellonatural.co) for juices that are packed full of the ingredients your body needs when you’ve got a bit of a bug.

Recipe #1:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled & seeds removed

2 lemons

2 inch piece of ginger, peeled

2 tsp turmeric powder

Directions: put all ingredients into the blender and blend on high for 30-60 seconds.

*Warning: this juice combo is not for the faint hearted! The flavor is extremely bitter by itself, which is why I recommend adding a green apple if you like your juice on the sweeter side.

Recipe #2:

2 cups fresh pineapple

1 frozen ripe banana

1 cup coconut water

2 T shredded coconut

1 cup kale

Directions: Put all ingredients in with the banana at the top, pour liquid in, blend on high for about 30-45 seconds.

Recipe #3:

2 oranges

1 grapefruit

1 lime

1/2 cup of cranberries

Directions: Put all ingredients in and blend on high for 30-60 seconds.

Recipe #4:

1 cup pomegranate seeds

2 grapefruits

1 lemon

1 fresh bunch of kale

Directions: Put all ingredients in and blend on high for 30-60 seconds.

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I am super excited to announce that Seize the Day Blog is now on Bloglovin! If you’re already on this wonderful site please search for “www.seizethedayblog.com” and follow me, I would really appreciate it! If you’re not then I recommend you sign up! It is blog junkie heaven AND you could keep up to date with my posts! Thanks! <3 Katie

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Finding Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) free chicken broth in a grocery store is impossible. I am yet to find such a product. In the meantime, I have found an alternative: making my own broth. It is surprisingly easy to make and this recipe yields a large amount of broth. If you have some left over, don’t throw it away! Instead, put it in a mason jar and freeze it until your next use. It always unthaws nicely without affecting the taste or the consistency of the broth. Happy cooking!

Chicken broth

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken (rinsed)

3 T Salt*

3 T Onion Powder

2 T Garlic Powder

2 T Parsley

Instructions:

Put whole chicken in a large pot, fill it ¾ full of water.

Add the salt, onion, garlic & parsley.

Heat it up to boiling point, simmer for 1 ½ – 2 hours.

After it is finished simmering, sample & add more salt, onion & garlic to taste. You will need to add more of each in order to give it a hearty flavor.

Take the chicken out & put the stock through a sieve.

Keep in the refrigerator for quick access or you can freeze it for future use.

*I know that 3 T is a lot of salt, but if you use Pink Himalayan Salt instead of standard table salt you will get none of the harmful side effects of too much sodium. Instead you will get all the benefits of the nutrients that are contained in salt that has not been stripped of all its beneficial properties.

In my previous post on Catamenial Epilepsy, I touched briefly on the topic of Monosodium Glutamate, a food ingredient more popularly known as MSG. Many restaurants and food companies pride themselves on the exclusion of this ingredient in their products. Why do they do this? I know that whenever I hear anyone mention MSG it is usually because they are trying to avoid it. Over the last few years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has supposedly been making an “effort” to keep it out of our foods (whether this is actually true or not will be discussed below). So, why is this ingredient so bad? Judging by the many restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores (like Trader Joe’s, for example) that have made a serious effort to advertise the lack of MSG within their products, I think it’s safe to say that society in general knows this ingredient is bad.

However, most people don’t know why it’s bad or even the extent to which it can harm the human body. These important details aren’t discussed like they should be. You have the right to know what you’re putting into your body, so keep on reading because you won’t find anything sugar coated in this blog post.

What is Monosodium Glutamate?

A good start to understanding MSG and its harmful effects is to first understand what it is. By breaking down the intimidating “Monosodium Glutamate,” you will find nothing more than a man made chemical. That’s right; MSG isn’t even a naturally occurring ingredient that we have been eating by mistake all these years. No, it is a man made chemical that has been purposely added to many foods and products. You’re probably thing right about now, ‘Why on Earth would anyone do something so idiotic?’ The answer is money.

This synthetic substance is cheap to make and it enhances real food flavors to be more fresh, savory, and heartier than they actually are. Many times this “enhancement” of flavor is also disguising the true poor quality of a food. It originates in Asia and has made its way around the world and into most of our processed foods. The fact that MSG is dominantly found in processed food presents an even bigger issue due to the fact that a typical American diet is filled with these food products.

Dr. Mercola gives an excellent description of the actual makeup of MSG in his amusing, yet appropriately named article MSG: Is this Silent Killer Lurking in Your Kitchen Cabinets: “It’s a misconception that MSG is a flavor or “meat tenderizer.” In reality, MSG has very little taste at all, yet when you eat MSG, you think the food you’re eating has more protein and tastes better. It does this by tricking your tongue, using a little-known fifth basic taste: umami. Umami is the taste of glutamate, which is a savory flavor found in many Japanese foods, bacon, and also in the toxic food additive MSG.”1

How does Monosodium Glutamate affect our bodies?

Here’s the biggest problem lying within the chemical makeup of MSG: glutamate. This ingredient also happens to be a naturally occurring amino acid within the human body that multiple organs, like the brain and nervous system, use as a neurotransmitter to carry out certain bodily functions (Dr. Mercola). Consuming MSG results in the elevation of glutamate levels within the body, thereby interfering with the stability of neurotransmissions between organs.

MSG is also considered an excitotoxin, “which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees — and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease and more” (Dr. Mercola). Dr. Mercola has a lot of great information on MSG, the dangers of this ingredient and how to avoid it. I strongly encourage everyone to read his article (link provided above); I guarantee you will gain some vital insight into the silent killer known as MSG.

Due to the fact that processed foods are such a large part of the average American’s diet, men, women, and children are flooding their bodies with glutamate. Companies using this ingredient are choosing to jeopardize our health in order to save a few extra bucks in production costs.

Although the FDA has made some efforts at getting “Monosodium Glutamate” off the ingredient list of many foods, the organization has made an even greater effort in creating code names for MSG. The fact of the matter is you can no longer assume that just because “Monosodium Glutamate” isn’t listed, MSG is not present within a food or product. This is why avoiding MSG completely can be such a challenge. Some code names for MSG are Natural Flavors, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Soy, and Carrageenan. There are over 40 different hidden ingredients containing MSG, click here to read a full list. Be sure to also read the “Reminders” section found below the list of ingredients, the site gives some really great tips on how to avoid MSG in common foods.

How MSG impacts my body

MSG has certainly had quite the impact on my state of health since I was first diagnosed with Catamenial Epilepsy in 2009. Many people can eat MSG without having an extreme reaction to it, but, unfortunately for me, I am not one of those people. No, MSG has long been an enemy of mine. Shortly after my diagnosis, I discovered that I had also developed an allergy to the ingredient. My allergic reaction came in the form of grand mal seizures and was caused by the weakening of my Blood Brain Barrier. (To learn more about the Blood Brain Barrier, click here, and scroll down to the bottom of the post.)

Due to my extreme allergy, I was forced to cut MSG out of my diet completely. Now, I avoid processed foods at all cost. I try to eat 100% Organic (sometimes there are certain foods that are absolutely impossible to find Organic), and all of my meals are cooked from scratch using recipes. I have found that from scratch baking is the best way to keep MSG out of my diet. At 16 years old it was hard to give up processed foods like Oreos and Cheetos Puffs, but today, as a 22-year-old woman, I have realized that it was the best thing I could have done for my body.

Ready to cut MSG out of your diet?

Did you know that MSG makes you want to keep eating even when you’re full? It’s like an addictive ingredient that tricks your body into thinking it needs more food when, in actuality, it needs less. With food additives like this, it’s no mystery why obesity has become such a large issue in America. Cutting MSG filled foods from my diet allowed me to rid my body of synthetic ingredients by replacing them with naturally healthy foods. No chemicals, just vitamins…a very beneficial change!

If you are experiencing health problems, I sincerely recommend evaluating your diet. It made a world of difference in the stability of my epilepsy and the overall quality of my life. It can be so easy to rely on medications to fix the problems we experience, rather than becoming proactive in alternative ways. Sometimes you are the only source capable of healing not only the symptoms, but the cause of your health issues, as well. I understand that overcoming any problem is a challenge, which is why I like to think of my health as an elephant. How do you swallow an elephant? One bite at a time. By thinking of it as a step-by-step process, everything becomes less overwhelming. So, seize the day, take control of your health and let your first bite of whatever your elephant is be your diet.

A big part of becoming healthy is eating right. A big part of why most of us don’t eat right is because it typically means removing sugar from our diet. I don’t know about you, but those kinds of diets make me sad. It’s as if the world is making us choose: being healthy or being depressed. This is quite the dilemma, especially because the world’s definition of healthy isn’t actually healthy at all! Instead of focusing on the Calorie/Carbohydrate section of the label,

I would I like to propose a simple task to each of you reading this right now…go grab a food from your cabinet that has one of those Nutrition labels on it. Okay, so you have your food (I chose Wheat Thins), now look at the label. Most of us just see the table of “healthy” supplements found in the product, for others we see the amount of calories (that’s 140 per 16 crackers) and cringe a little bit because, if you’re like me, you know you ate WAY more than 16 crackers during your last snack attack.

This is the information we are trained to look at based on what is considered healthy these days. Now, look below this table and you should see a section labeled “Ingredients.” Delete that calorie counting app from your cell phone and start counting the amount of bizarre ingredients found on this label. We need to turn our attention to this rarely visited section of the food label and start becoming aware of the ingredients that are frequently put into most foods. Once I began doing this, I realized that the best way to get truly healthy foods made with real ingredients is to do it myself. I know it’s so much easier to stick a frozen pizza in the oven, but please resist the urge to do so and try to bake your own foods from scratch. Trust me when I say it sounds more intimidating than it actually is. And I would like to jumpstart your cooking career by sharing with you some recipes that are tried and truly delicious! I will be posting recipes that are healthy, yummy, and completely from scratch. Since there are some foods that are too difficult to make from scratch and must be store bought, I will also be posting healthier alternatives to the products with poor ingredients. For my first “Recipe” post, I will be sharing four from scratch recipes that every cook needs to know: Balsamic Vinaigrette, Ranch Dip (one of my faves for July 4th!), BBQ Sauce, and Italian Seasoning. Please, Enjoy!!!

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About Me

Hi, I'm Katie! I was diagnosed with Catamenial Epilepsy when I was 16 years old. What started out to be an impossible struggle has now become a journey toward healing thanks to natural/Holistic methods.
For the last 6 years, I have continuously gone through a trial and error period where I have been discovering for myself the true quality of various foods, products, and lifestyles.
I am going to share everything I have learned with the hope that it will help you to begin your healthy lifestyle that much faster. Read More…